As much as I love (and live for) the summer, resisting its end as though it would never come again, I also love the comfort and ‘home-liness’ of the autumn.  When I came home from work today, those fall-ish things that make my heart happy seemed to be gathered in joyful clusters everywhere I looked.

As I was pulling the remnants of the tomato and zucchini plants, I was continually distracted by the deeper fall colors in the garden–a vibrant burst of jewel tones and tapestry-like textures.

010

Walking through the kitchen, I loved seeing the cookbooks strewn about in preparation for fall meal-planning.  Looking at the burnished warmth of the copper pans hanging; the terra-cotta orange saucepans stacked and at-the-ready; a sink-full of striped Delicata squash scrubbed clean and ready to be roasted; those things erased the cares of the workday and filled me with contentment.

Just three of the many cookbooks spilled all over my kitchen
015

I thought of the Summer, with her sparkle of Rosé shared with friends on the patio, in friendly competition with the darting hummingbirds. The effervescence of Prosecco–a perfect match to the intensity that is the gardening season, pairing beautifully with the tiny lights strung over the patio.

015

But with Autumn comes more peaceful pursuits, and a glass of garnet-red Zinfandel or Syrah is companion to knitting in front of a fire.  Rich, hot, cocoa and a delicious novel on a rainy afternoon is a sweet and restorative way to counter the gloom that can overtake even the most optimistic of us.  A meal of steaming soup and fresh, warm, bread can bring calm and order to the most chaotic of workdays (or election years).

009

Whatever season you are in at the moment, I wish you joy and contentment, and hope that you are able to find a peacefulness of your own.   I know it’s been a long time, but thank you so much for visiting.

Warmly,
Lorrie